Quiz: Howstuffworks

Can You Name All of These Famous Golfers?

Jonnathan Chadwick

Image: MichaelSvoboda / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

The game of golf can be traced all the way back to Ancient Roman times when players used a feather-stuffed ball and club-shaped tree branches. The Song Dynasty of Ancient China picked up the game around 900 AD, and by the 15th century, golf, as we know it today, was starting to take form in Scotland. Today's game of golf is credited to the Scots. The game was first mentioned in Scottish text in 1457 when the government banned the game so it wouldn't distract soldiers from training. Mary, Queen of Scots was accused of playing golf instead of mourning her husband's death, and it is commonly accepted that The Old Course at Musselburgh Links is the oldest golf course in the world.

The Professional Golfers Association of America was formed in 1916; the PGA Tour was formed in 1929, and that's when all the fun began. The game of golf is truly international. No one country dominates the field more than any other country, and the game is played on six continents. Its stars come from every corner of the world and don't mold into any stereotype. Michelle Wie, Tiger Woods and John Daly are three of the most famous golfers to ever play and they are nothing alike. No sport has a more diversified playing field than golf, and it just keeps getting more diverse. How well do you know the best golfers in the world? Put your skills to the test and try to name all of these golfers.

Wiki Commons by Keith Allison

Do you know this golfer who took the world by storm when she turned pro just before her 16th birthday?

Amy Alcott

Patty Berg

Lorena Ochoa

Michelle Wie

Michelle Wie qualified for the USGA amateur championship at age 10 and turned pro in 2005 at the age of 15. Tiger Woods comparisons were only natural, but unlike Tiger, she didn't win her first major until 2014 when she won the 2014 U.S. Women's Open.

Wiki Commons by MC3 William Selby, USN

Name the phenom who went pro in '96, won the Masters in '97, and achieved a career grand slam by 2001.

Jordan Spieth

Tiger Woods

Vijay Singh

Jason Day

At the age of 3, Tiger Woods was able to break 50 through nine holes. He broke 80 at age 8 and broke 70 on a regulation golf course at age 12. Through all his ups and downs, he's considered the second greatest golfer of all time.

Masters Tournament

This legend, who has won 18 PGA Major Championships, is considered the greatest golfer of all time.

Jack Nicklaus

Arnold Palmer

Ben Hogan

Sam Snead

Jack Nicklaus holds the record for most major championships and holds the title of greatest golfer of all time. He has just three more Major wins than Tiger Woods, who has been dead-set on breaking Jack's record since he turned pro.

Wiki Commons by Peetlesnumber1

What Tiger rival didn't win his first Major until 2004?

Jack Nicklaus

Davis Love III

Phil Mickelson

Brooks Koepka

Phil is one of the most popular players on the tour and turned pro in 1992, four years before Tiger Woods. He didn't win his first major until 2004, however, when he won the Masters. Tiger had won eight majors by then.

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One of the greatest golfers of all time is also famous for a summertime drink named in his honor.

Jack Nicklaus

Tiger Woods

Ben Hogan

Arnold Palmer

If you don't know who Arnold Palmer the golfer is, you might know about the drink of iced tea and lemonade he created, promoted and named, which is named for him. The golfer has 62 PGA wins, seven majors and is one of the greatest to ever play the game.

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What Irishman went pro in 2007 and has won two dozen tournaments since?

Jordan Spieth

Rickie Fowler

Rory McIlroy

Jason Day

Rory McIlroy burst onto the PGA scene in 2007 and has won 15 tournaments since, but still hasn't been able to complete the career grand slam. His best finish in the Masters, which he is yet to win, was fourth place in 2015.

PGA Tour via YouTube

Did you know this famous golfer is engaged to hockey legend Wayne Gretzky's daughter?

Jordan Spieth

Rickie Fowler

Dustin Johnson

Jason Day

Dustin Johnson has been through plenty of ups and downs on tour. He tested positive for marijuana in 2009, tested positive for cocaine in 2012 and 2014, got suspended, mysteriously fell down and withdrew from the 2017 Masters, and has been engaged to Wayne Gretzky's daughter since 2013.

Wiki Commons by JazzyJoeyD

This athlete won back-to-back U.S. Opens in 2017 and 2018 and back-to-back PGA Championships in 2018 and 2019.

Jordan Spieth

Brooks Koepka

Dustin Johnson

Jason Day

Brooks Koepka turned pro in 2012 and already has four major wins. He has yet to win the Masters or the Open Championship but has consistently competed in both tournaments. He became the No. 1 golfer in the world in 2018.

Wiki Commons by Ted Hood

Do you know what golfing legend holds the record for most PGA Tour wins?

Jack Nicklaus

Arnold Palmer

Sam Snead

Ben Hogan

If you don't know what Sam Snead looks like, that's because he turned pro in 1931. He holds the record for most career PGA wins and has seven majors, but he never won the U.S. Open. He was known for having a smooth swing and is one of the PGA's greatest.

Wiki Commons by Peetlesnumber1

Nike asked this player to stop wearing red on tournament Sundays because it was Tiger's color.

Davis Love III

David Duval

Patrick Reed

Sam Snead

Patrick Reed and Tiger Woods are both sponsored by Nike, and Tiger is well known to wear red on championship Sunday. In 2018, Patrick Reed picked up the tradition to honor the great, but Nike asked him not to do so at the Masters. He won the tournament but wore pink that Sunday.

Wiki Commons by Craig Oneal

This golfer famously hit five consecutive shots into the water on the 15th hole at the 2018 Masters.

Sergio Garcia

Mark O'Meara

Bubba Watson

Stewart Cink

Sergio Garcia's meltdown at the 2018 Masters was reminiscent of Kevin Costner's character in the movie "Tin Cup." Garcia hit his ball into the water five times in a row and registered an octuple-bogey (13) on the hole.

PGA Tour via YouTube

He became the second youngest player to ever win the Masters when he shot -18 in 2015.

Jim Furyk

Stuart Appleby

Dustin Johnson

Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth turned pro in 2012 and already has three majors, but he has never won the PGA Championship. He was the second youngest to win the Masters and the youngest to win the U.S. Open Championship since Bobby Jones in 1923.

Wiki Commons by Bones999

This guy is known for wearing a visor and sunglasses and won 13 tournaments on the PGA Tour in just a few short years.

David Duval

Fred Couples

Greg Norman

Hale Irwin

David Duval turned pro in 1993 and was primed to be one of the game's best. He won his first and only major, The Open Championship, in 2001, but that was the last time he ever won on tour. Sudden struggles caused him to end his career early and he never made a successful comeback.

Wiki Commons by Craig ONeal

This Australian golfer became the first Australian to win the Masters in 2013.

Adam Scott

Jason Day

Retief Goosen

Johnny Palmer

Adam Scott attained the World No. 1 Ranking in August of 2014 and has won 13 PGA tournaments since turning pro in 2000. He only has one major victory on tour but finished second at the 2012 Open Championship.

Wiki Commons by Keith Allison

Can you name this Swedish golfer who holds the LPGA earnings record with more than $22 million?

Betsy King

Karrie Webb

Annika Sorenstam

Michelle Wie

Annika Sorenstam is one of the most successful golfers ever and has 72 LPGA Tour wins, with 10 of those being majors. She has earned more than $2 million more than her nearest rival and has played 149 fewer contests.

Wiki Commons by Keith Allison

What former Player of the Year holds the PGA record for lowest round on tour?

Davis Love III

Jim Furyk

Stewart Cink

Stuart Appleby

Jim Furyk has consistently competed on the PGA Tour since 1992 and has 17 wins, including a major victory at the 2003 U.S. Open. He spent 440 weeks ranked in the top 10 golfers and holds the record for lowest round on tour when he shot a 58 in 2016.

Wiki Commons by PG Janssen

Do you know this popular golfer who regularly wears fitted baseball caps on tour?

Rickie Fowler

Dustin Johnson

Jordan Spieth

Justin Rose

Rickie Fowler has been a fan favorite on tour since he turned pro in 2009 but still has yet to turn the corner to greatness. He has five wins and none of them are majors, but he has reached the No. 4 world ranking in 2016.

Wiki Commons by James Phelps

This Alabama native's sole victory at a Major Championship came in dramatic fashion after a four-hole playoff.

Stuart Appleby

Stewart Cink

Davis Love III

Ernie Els

Stewart Cink has been on tour since 1997, and his sole victory in a major tournament came in 2009 at the Open Championship. He defeated Tom Watson in a four-hole playoff played at the Alisa Course of the Turnberry Resort in Scotland.

Wiki Commons by Doha Stadium Plus Qatar

What South Korean turned pro in 1994 and has won close to 30 professional tournaments since?

Sergio Garcia

Hideki Matsuyama

Brooks Koepka

K.J. Choi

South Korean K.J. Choi turned pro in 1994 and joined the PGA Tour in 2000. He was won 29 professional tournaments and is Asia's most successful golfer. He has never won a major but finished third at the 2004 Masters Tournament.

Wiki Commons by Dan Perry

This Englishman turned pro in 1998 and won the U.S. Open in 2013.

Ryan Moore

Justin Rose

Bob Murphy

Billy Mayfair

Justin Rose joined the PGA Tour in 2003 and has 24 professional wins in total, including a 2013 U.S. Open victory. He also won the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, which were the first Olympics to hold a golf event in 112 years.

Wiki Commons by Matt Muskovac

He's one of the most popular golfers out of South Africa and spent close to five years ranked as one of the top 10 golfers in the world.

Retief Goosen

Matt Kuchar

Justin Leonard

Zach Johnson

South Africa is home to some of the greatest golfers to ever play on the PGA Tour, and Retief Goosen is no exception. He turned pro in 1990 and amassed 36 professional wins, including two U.S. Open victories in 2001 and 2004.

Wiki Commons by Keith Allison

This Australian golfer was a former No.1 and shot -20 at the 2015 PGA Championship.

Nick Price

Rory McIlroy

Jason Day

Greg Norman

Jason Day turned pro in 2006, cracked the top 10 in 2011 and attained a No.1 world ranking in 2015. He has 12 wins on tour, including one major victory at the 2015 PGA Championship. He hails from Australia but also has a residence in Ohio.

Wiki Commons by Carl Lindberg

What lefty Southerner won two Masters in three years?

Davis Love III

Stuart Appleby

Tom Kite

Bubba Watson

Bubba Watson's laid back Southern twang perfectly matches his smooth and easy playing style. The lefty has 12 PGA Tour wins and won the Masters Tournament in 2012 and 2014. He doesn't have any other major wins but finished second at the 2010 PGA Championship.

Wiki Commons by Anthony22

This 6'3'' South African native is nicknamed the "Big Easy" and has won four PGA Majors.

Retief Goosen

Ernie Els

Tom Kite

Mark O'Meara

Ernie Els has been a fan favorite ever since he joined the PGA Tour in 1994. He has 19 PGA wins and 71 professional wins in total, including four major championships: the 1994 and '97 U.S. Open and the 2002 and '12 Open Championship.

Wiki Commons by Siyi Chen

Can you name this retired golfer, who was the only player other than Tiger Woods to attain a World No. 1 ranking in the 2000s?

Greg Norman

Ben Crenshaw

Vijay Singh

Lanny Wadkins

Vijay Singh is another fan favorite and has amassed 34 PGA wins, including three majors, during his career. He held the No.1 spot in the world for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005, and was the only person other than Tiger Woods to hold the spot in the 2000s.

PGA Tour via YouTube

What famous golfer made a cameo in the movie "Happy Gilmore" and then regretted it?

Lee Trevino

Johnny Miller

Gary Player

Nick Faldo

Lee Trevino makes an epic cameo in the 1996 Adam Sandler classic "Happy Gilmore." In his golf life, Trevino won 29 PGA tournaments, including six majors. He won two of every major except the Masters, which he never won.

Wiki Commons by Jimhealey24

This golf legend is one of just five players to have won all four PGA Major Championships.

Tom Watson

Ben Hogan

Sam Snead

Arnold Palmer

Ben Hogan isn't the most recognizable golfer being that he played from 1930 to 1971, but his 64 PGA wins gives him the fourth-most career wins of all time. He won nine majors, winning the U.S. Open four times.

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Can you name this golfer who once won 11 PGA tournaments in a row?

Billy Casper

Byron Nelson

Nick Faldo

Walter Hagen

The Byron Nelson Golf Classic is a tournament that takes place in Texas and was the first PGA tournament to be named after a golfer. Nelson amassed 52 Tour wins and five of them were major victories, but he never won The Open Championship.

Wiki Commons by Keith Allison

This American has been on the tour for 15 years and has won two Majors. Do you know who he is?

Zach Johnson

Payne Stewart

Nick Price

Fred Couples

Zach Johnson has been solid on the PGA Tour since 2004, amassing 12 wins with two of them being majors victories at the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship. His 2007 Masters victory was extra special because he just edged out Tiger Woods by two strokes.

PGA Tour via YouTube

What Japanese golfer turned pro in 2013 and attained the No. 2 world ranking by 2017?

Johnny Farrell

Hideki Matsuyama

Craig Wood

Lanny Wadkins

Hideki Matsuyama hails from Japan and attained a No. 2 world ranking in 2017. He has played golf, and most likely won, with President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and has a long career ahead of him.

Wiki Commons by Lady 11390

This South African golfer is nicknamed the "Black Knight" and is considered one of the greatest golfers of all time.

Johnny Miller

Gary Player

Zach Johnson

Patrick Reed

Gary Player has 165 professional wins, 24 of them being PGA wins, and nine majors. He's one of just a handful of players to have won all four majors. He hails from South Africa and in 1965 he became the first non-American to win all four majors in their career.

Wiki Commons by Carl Lindberg

Do you know this golfer who turned pro in 1985 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017?

Jim Burns

Johnny Farrell

Henry Picard

Davis Love III

Davis Love III was at his peak in the 1990s and early 2000s and spent a total of 450 weeks in the top 10 rankings. He peaked at No. 2 in the world and won the 1997 PGA Championship. He amassed 37 professional wins overall, including 21 that came on the PGA Tour.

Golfing World via YouTube

Can you name this golfing great who is one of only five players to have won official tournaments on six continents?

Bobby Jones

Greg Norman

Hale Irwin

Gary Player

Hale Irwin is a golfing legend and was consistently ranked atop the world between 1970 and 1985. He won three U.S. Opens and is the oldest ever U.S. Open winner, winning the tournament at age 45 in 1990.

Wiki Commons by US Navy

This golfing great hails from Australia and can frequently be seen wearing his Outback-inspired straw hats.

Greg Norman

Hale Irwin

Jim Furyk

Stewart Cink

Greg Norman is a popular fan favorite who has 20 PGA Tour wins and two major victories at the 1986 and '93 Open Championship. The Australian played rugby and cricket while growing up and had dreams of being a surfer. He is known for his Outback straw hats.

PGA Tour Champions via YouTube

Can you name this golfer who has consistently won on the PGA Tour for the past 40 years?

Fred Couples

Henrik Stenson

Adam Scott

Justin Rose

Fred Couples has amassed more than 60 professional wins, with 15 of those coming on the PGA Tour, and he has one major victory coming at the 1992 Masters Tournament. He also won the Players Championship, which is considered a "little major," twice in 1984 and '96.

Wiki Commons by 76twins

Who is this golfer who was born in South Africa but is actually Zimbabwean?

Hale Irwin

Nick Price

Lee Westwood

Jason Dufner

Nick Price holds two PGA Championship victories and a British Open victory. He peaked at No. 1 in the world in the mid-1990s and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003. He was considered one of the best ball strikers in the game and was always a fan favorite.

Wiki Commons by PaddyBriggs

What golfing great spent almost 200 weeks from 1986 to 2000 ranked as one of the top 10 golfers in the world?

Tom Kite

Hale Irwin

Mark O'Meara

Justin Rose

Before Tiger Woods burst onto the scene and destroyed everything in his sight, the PGA Tour was wide open and several players took a turn atop the leader board, and one of those people was Mark O'Meara. He won two majors and was consistently in the top 10 from 1986 to 2000.

Wiki Commons by SN#1

This legend won three Masters tournaments and three Open Championships.

Nick Faldo

Stewart Cink

Justin Thomas

Henrik Stenson

Nick Faldo was ranked the No. 1 golfer in the world for a total of 97 weeks in his career and the legend has amassed 41 professional wins, including six PGA majors. He won three Masters Tournaments and three Open Championships.

Wiki Commons by Steven Newton

Do you know this golfer who came under fire in 2018 after he won $1.29 million and gave his caddie a 0.38% tip?

Justin Thomas

Jason Day

Matt Kuchar

Gary Player

When Matt Kuchar won more than $1 million in a tournament, people thought his caddie would get at least 10%. He instead got a $5,000 tip, and although that's a pretty nice tip, it's only 0.38% of Kuchar's winnings. Kuchar later apologized and upped his tip.

Wiki Commons by mandj98

This golfer has been one of the most popular golfers in the world since 1987 and has made several media appearances.

Tiger Woods

John Daly

Jack Nicklaus

Arnold Palmer

John Daly is one of the biggest fan favorites on the PGA Tour and one of the biggest fan favorites in all of sports. He has five PGA Tour wins and two of those are majors. No matter whether he wins or loses, he will always be one of the game's most popular players.

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